


Their Tortured War

by ValaSidra



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, F/M, Female Keith (Voltron), Fluff, Kit Keith, Kolivan Ulaz Thace and Antok are a pack, Lotor is an informant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:08:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23283028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ValaSidra/pseuds/ValaSidra
Summary: Shiro and Keith knew each other on Earth, but hadn't seen each other for eleven years. One day, Keith is rescued from the Galra along with the Red Lion. The Paladins meet her. What will happen?
Relationships: Allura/Shiro (Voltron), Hunk/Pidge | Katie Holt, Lance/Romelle (Voltron), Matt Holt/Keith
Comments: 4
Kudos: 62





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So this is really something that came to me over time. A pile up of ideas. I did get someone else's opinion on the relationships. So yeah. I am trying to avoid being too graphic with the violence, but, fair warning, it may seem a bit graphic to some. That is why I gave the Archive Warning I did. Use your judgement. I will mostly avoid detailing any violence, but I am being cautious. It is short, sorry. Please enjoy!

Shiro ran, pulling the seven year old girl behind him. He was going to get them both out.

He turned to the raven haired girl, “Anka, come on. Climb on my back, we’ll be faster that way.”

She looked at him, her amethyst eyes welling with tears, “Shiro, both of us won’t make it. They’re going to catch up to us.”

Shiro felt his heart sink as he realised what she was about to do, “Anka, no!”

She pushed him, making him fall into the ditch gave him a teary smile, “Reach the stars for me, okay? Reach them and never let go.”

With that she turned around and ran. She ran in the opposite direction of their pursuers, leading them away. His last view of her was as she stumbled from being shot in the leg. He slowly lost consciousness and made a silent promise to not let her sacrifice go to waste.


	2. Chapter 1: The Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is with the Galra, but an ally of the Paladins rescues her along with the Red Lion. Who are these allies?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is definitely not cannon, but I hope you enjoy!

Keith stared down the witch in front of her. She wouldn’t yield. She wouldn’t break. She didn’t break after ten years of torture at the hands of humans. She could last another four and who knows how long under the witches thumb. 

The witch snarled, “What is your secret, child? How do you block my control? How do you endure pain that others of your kind did not?”

Keith froze. The witch said “others of your kind”. Her mind flashed to Shiro. "Please, don't let it be him." The thought was desperate and unchecked as it hit her.

The witch smiled, a cruel and evil smile, “So, you know the Champion. It is unfortunate he has escaped. I could use him to break you.”

With that ominous comment, the witch gave a nod to the guard. Pain filled Keith as electricity raced across every nerve in her body. She bit back a scream and merely grunted at the pain. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of hearing her screams. She relaxed, after what felt like an eternity, when they turned the electricity off. Black filled her vision, and she briefly wondered if it was the end. Once she was out, the witch ordered her to be returned to her cell. The guard gently took the eighteen year old out of the room. He looked around and took her to a communication room. He put in communication for people who were most definitely not the Empire.

Once it connected, the galra spoke, “Leader, I have found the Red Lion. It is in my location.”

The man on the other end gave a noise of acknowledgement, “We shall come to retrieve both you and it.”

The male spoke up, “Leader, there is one of Haggar’s experiments here. She has been here for four years.”

The leader narrowed his eyes, “We are not rescuing any more prisoners.”

The galra shook his head, “You don’t understand. She’s human, like the Paladins.”

The leader’s eyes widened, “What?”

A brief nod and the galra glanced at Keith’s sleeping form, “Haggar said that she knew the Champion, or, as we know him, the Black Paladin.”

After a moment of silence the leader spoke, “We will rescue her also. Be ready.”

“How soon?”

“Give us two vargas.”

The galra gave a nod of acknowledgement, “Yes, Leader. We shall be waiting.”

Two vargas later, the ship shook and the Red Lion was loaded onto a transport, and the galra carried, a still unconscious, Keith onboard. 

The leader established communications with their allies and was greeted by Shiro, “Kolivan, how can we help you?”

The leader, Kolivan, spoke, “Paladins, we need you to meet us at the base.” He glanced back at the sleeping human in his comrade's arms, “We found a human on board the same ship as the Red Lion. It appears she has been there for four years.”

The Paladins all gasped at what that meant, “We will be there.”

Kolivan turned to the galra, still holding Keith, “She is going to be in for quite the shock when she wakes up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the support! Let me know if you liked it! Have a great day!


	3. Chapter 2: Anka

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Paladins arrive to find a hostile Keith. Hugs are given and Keith learns something new about herself. How will she react?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I did take some liberties with interactions. (WARNING: I do not know how to flirt, so here are my pathetic attempts at a flirting Lance.) This is mostly just getting to know each other. Anyhoo, please enjoy and have a great day!

Keith slowly pried her eyes open and saw several galra staring at her. She screamed in fright before she thought to stay silent. One of them stepped forward, he seemed familiar.

His hands were held out, revealing he held no weapons, “My name is Ulaz. I am a member of the Blade of Marmora, a resistance group against the Empire.”

She backed away from them on the bed. Why was it so big?, “Stay away from me. Stay away.”

Ulaz looked to the male at his right, “She’s panicking, Kolivan.”

Kolivan took a step forward just as his com went off, notifying him of the Paladin's arrival. He looked at Ulaz, “Stay here. We need to do a medical examination to determine what they did to her and what injuries could be life threatening.”

He walked off to meet the frantic Paladins. The Black Paladin looked at Kolivan, “Where is the human?”

“In our medical wing.”

The Green Paladin, Pidge, spoke, “Did you leave her in there alone?”

Kolivan looked at her, “No, Ulaz is with her.”

Matt, a member of the rebellion who had been visiting his sister Pidge on the Castle of Lions, stepped toward Kolivan, “You left her with a galra when you just rescued her from galra that had been torturing her?”

Just then, a Blade ran up to Kolivan, “Sir, we have a problem. The human has a blade and is threatening anyone who comes close to her with it.”

Kolivan’s eyes widened, “Where did she get a blade from?”

The Blade shrugged, “No one knows. Everyone has their blades. It appears it had been in her possession the entire time.”

The group ran to the medical wing and heard Keith shouting, “Stay away! Don’t you dare come any closer!”

There were many Blades that could be heard saying, “I thought Ulaz said she had been a prisoner. How did she get a weapon, let alone a blade?”

Shiro stopped in his tracks as he heard Keith’s voice, “Anka?”

The others turned toward him, and Kolivan glanced at him, “What did you say?”

Shiro grabbed Kolivan’s arm, “Order your Blades back if you don’t want them to be harmed. If the person in there is who I think it is, she can easily take out several of them before you could restrain her.”

Kolivan called out, “Fall back. Everyone but Ulaz, leave the room.”

A path formed in the crowd, and Shiro ran forward calling, “Anka!”

Keith turned to Shiro’s voice and cried, “Shiro? Shiro!”

Shiro pulled her into a hug, and she pulled back, “What are you doing here? How are you here? Earth doesn’t have the technology to reach the edge of the Milky Way, let alone here.”

Shiro chuckled, “I could ask the same thing of you. The last time I saw you, you were shoving me into a ditch, so I could escape.”

She gave him a sad look, “Four years ago there was a small landing of galra scouts looking for something. I wasn’t there initially when the others attacked them. I was too busy trying to get out of my restraints.”

Shiro paled, “You were still there? Seven years after you shoved me into the ditch?”

Keith nodded, “Yeah. Oh, by the way, it’s actually Keith.”

Shiro blinked at her and broke into a laugh, “You didn’t tell me after three years, but eleven years later, you tell me. You’re crazy.” He stopped laughing and looked at Keith, “Did Arata get taken by the galra with you? Was he a prisoner too?”

Keith shook her head, “He’s dead Shiro. The humans killed him before the galra arrived. That’s why I was restrained.”

Shiro’s shoulders slumped and felt Lance place his hand on his shoulder, “Oh, Keith. This is my adoptive brother Lance.”

Keith gave Lance a hard stare, “So you’re Lance.” She turned to Shiro, “Not as impressive as I had imagined him being based on your description.”

Lance gasped in fake offence, “Insulted by a beautiful woman.” He gave her a flirtatious smirk, “I guess I’ll just have to convince you I am an amazing person to have as a friend.”

She gave him a confused look, “I merely stated fact. I did not intend to insult you. Also, why do you wish to convince me that you are an amazing friend?”

They heard a snort from Pidge and Matt. They were holding their sides in laughter.

Lance gave a small smile, “Looks like I’ll have to work extra hard to convince you, my lovely lady.”

Keith glared at Lance and stood. She was just a few inches shorter than Lance, but had an intimidating presence all the same. In one smooth motion, she punched him in the face, “What is truly insulting is someone not calling you by your name when they know it. Stop calling me-what was it- “lovely lady”. I don’t appreciate it.”

At that, some Blades snickered. She shot them a glare, and they quieted down, leaving Matt and Pidge laughing at Lance’s expression. 

Matt was laughing hard, but Pidge had managed to get herself under control enough to speak, “Lance, your face. Thank you so much for that, Keith. He flirts nonstop with girls. It is truly amazing to see his ego taken down a notch.”

Keith gave them a small smile, “Hi, what are your names?”

Pidge straightened, “Katie Holt, but please, call me Pidge.”

Keith nodded and turned to Matt, “And your name, Mr. Holt?”

Matt smiled, “You guessed the last name because Pidge and I look so similar?” At Keith’s nod he gave a hearty laugh, “Well, the name is Matt.”

Keith nodded and turned to Hunk, “You’re name?”

Hunk gave her a friendly smile, “The name’s Hunk. So I have a few questions. First, Have you eaten yet? Any allergies or problems with certain foods? Do you have a favorite food? Also, can I give you a hug?”

Keith blinked for a moment and replied, “No, I’m lactose intolerant, I love strawberries, and you want to give me a what?”

Hunk gave Pidge a hug and turned back to Keith, “A hug. I just gave one to Pidge.”

Keith nodded, surprised at Hunk’s kindness, “Uh, yeah.”

He gave her a tight hug, and she slowly melted in acceptance of the hug. Once he stepped back, she turned to Shiro, “Protect him. A kind heart like that is all but destined to be crushed during a war.”

Shiro smiled and gave her a nod before turning to Hunk, “It seems you triggered her protective instinct. It took me about a year and a half before I triggered it for her.”

Keith raised an eyebrow and sarcastically replied, “Well, sorry Mr. Seven years older than me.”

Shiro smiled, “Sarcastic as ever I see.”

Keith shot a hand out and poked him in the side, making him flinch and snort out a laugh. She smiled, “As slow and as ticklish as ever I see.”

At the stunned silence around her she inquired, “What?”

Matt spoke first, “What? Shiro is ticklish?”

She nodded and Shiro pointed a warning finger at her, “Don’t you dare tell him where.”

She looked at Matt, mouthing “We’ll talk later.”

Everyone jumped as Kolivan marched into the room, “Where did you get that blade? Who did you steal it from?”

She got herself into her fighting position, “I didn’t steal it. I’ve had it since I was a child.”

Shiro nodded, “She’s had it since I met her when she was four.”

The others looked shocked, but Kolivan didn’t even flinch, “Well, you can not keep it. Hand it over.”

Keith gripped it tighter, “No, it’s the last thing my father handed me before he was killed. I am not giving it up. If you want it, you’ll have to take it from my cold dead hands.”

Kolivan took a step toward her, and she activated the blade. It grew into a sword and everyone froze in shock.

Shiro blinked, “When did you activate your blade?”

She shrugged, “When I was eight. Approximately nine months, two days, five hours, and six minutes after you escaped.”

Kolivan looked at her with steel in his eyes, “The only way you could have activated that blade is if you had galra blood in your veins.”

Keith gave a cold laugh, “You had better be joking. I am not galra.”

Ulaz shook his head, “What he said is true. The only way to activate a blade is if you are at least part galra.”

Keith sat down hard. Her body went cold with shock, and she looked at her blade. She couldn’t believe it. The very species that tortured her for four years was also her species.

She looked at Shiro, “I guess that explains a lot.”

Shiro nodded and sat down next to her, “You okay?”

She raised an eyebrow, “Did you seriously just ask me if I’m okay?”

He nodded, “Yeah.”

She gave him a look of disbelief, “Shiro, I have endured ten years of both mental physical torture to the point where any wounds short of death I barely feel the pain for. Then I endured four more years of someone digging into my head while torturing me. I think I can handle the news that I am not completely human. At least this tells me there actually isn't something wrong with me. After all, humans don’t normally need physical contact to survive.”

Shiro nodded, “How are you doing with that?”

She shrugged, “I built it up to the point where any form of contact holds off any serious consequences, so I’ve dealt.”

Shiro turned to Kolivan, Ulaz, and the masked Blade behind him, “We’ll take her to the Castle of Lions to use a pod.”

Kolivan nodded and looked at the Blades beside him, “We’ll go with you. The Red Lion still needs delivered.”

Keith nodded to Shiro’s questioning look, “I’m good with that, Shiro. The only reason I was freaking out was because I didn’t know where I was. You trusting them tells me they are at least okay people.”

With that they all headed out, Matt staying close enough to provide support, and Keith subconsciously accepting it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small note: Anka is Japanese for color of dawn, and Arata is Japanese for fresh (according to the site I found). Thanks for reading. Also, stay safe!


	4. Chapter 3: The Final Piece

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They return to the Castle of Lions, and Shiro tells them about how he met Keith. When she exits the pod, something is pulling at her. What is it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to give some of Keith's background. Thank you so much for all the support with this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Anyhoo, enjoy!

Keith found herself falling asleep on the trip back to the Castle. She hadn't had a full night's sleep since she was four. Her head rested on Matt's shoulder and he remained still. His sister raised an eyebrow at him just sitting there, but he ignored it. The raven haired girl whose head was on his shoulder had caused a protective instinct to take over. It wasn't quite like with his sister. He couldn't explain it, so he didn't try. The quiet conversations around him lulled him into sleep, and his head rested on top of Keith's. The ride back to the castle was uneventful, so Matt only woke when they landed in the Castle. He became concerned when Keith didn't wake. He could tell she was a light sleeper.

He looked up, "Guys, I think we have a problem."

Shiro looked over and saw her still asleep, an arm curled around Matt's, "I can't believe it."

Matt looked at him, panicking, "What is it Shiro?"

Shiro's eyes were wide as he said, "Either she is comfortable enough with you to fall into a deep sleep, her wounds are catching up to her, or a combination of both."

Matt gently scooped her into his arms and carried her out with the others. Allura was standing with Coran and Romelle, Lance's girlfriend, waiting for their arrival. Everyone filed out, and Lance was greeted with a kiss from Romelle. As Matt walked out with Keith still asleep in his arms, Coran gasped, “What happened to her?”

Kolivan grunted, “Haggar.”

Allura gave a small gasp and started directing Matt, “Take her to the infirmary. We can put her into a pod.”

The infirmary was crowded as Coran looked over the scans. His eyes were filled with concern and sympathy. After what felt like an eternity to Matt, Coran spoke, “She will be out in about two quintants. The pod may try to fix some scarring, but it should only be about that long.”

Lance turned to Shiro, an eyebrow raised, “So you knew her. Called her Anka. Care to explain?”

Shiro sighed and sat down, “I can’t tell you everything. I only know what happened to her until she was seven, but I’ll explain what I can.”

~~~

Once everyone was settled, Shiro began, “She grew up never knowing her mother, and her father was human. She was happy until she was four. That was when a group of humans killed her father in front of her. They took her back to their hideout and shoved her into a room. She was terrified but was determined to escape. I was kidnapped at around the same time. When they shoved me into the room, she was curled up in a corner. The moment I went to approach her, she pointed a blade at me and told me to stay away.”

He gave a small smile and looked at Keith’s sleeping form in the pod, “She never told me her name. That’s why I called her Anka. She avoided me for weeks. I did eventually earn an uneasy sense of trust from her. It was out of necessity.”

Shiro sighed and looked at his galran arm, “They tried to train us to be killers. She had a photographic memory, so she was able to learn the moves fast. She helped me with it. I wouldn’t have survived without her. In that place, if you didn’t learn it, you died.”

Shiro’s eyes became distant, and Allura placed a gentle hand on his arm. He gave her a soft smile and continued, “When she was five, I think, they were training her, and she barely messed up a block. They stabbed her in the heart. I still don’t know how she survived. That was when we really became close. She was on bedrest for months. It got worse for her after that. When she was seven, and I was fourteen, we finally managed to get out.”

He closed his eyes and stood, walking up to the pod and placed a hand on it, “We were so close to finally escaping, but they realised we were gone really fast. Despite all the training, it was hard for her to keep up. She realised that only one of us could escape.”

He closed his eyes, as if that would shove aside the memory, “She pushed me into a ditch that I couldn’t get out of very fast without help. I think I hit my head. I was able to barely see over the edge, and when I looked up, I saw her get hit in the leg by a bullet. She stumbled, but kept running, drawing them away from me so I could escape. I didn’t see her again until today.”

Everyone stood in shocked silence until Hunk spoke, “I think I am going to make a lot of food. Anyone want to throw a ‘Yay! You’re free!’ party for her with me?”

Matt snorted out a laugh, “I don’t think we want to call it that.” He turned to Pidge, “Pidge, what day is it on Earth?”

She consulted her laptop and tilted her head, “October twentieth, why?”

Matt turned his attention to Shiro, “Any idea when her birthday is?”

Shiro wrinkled his eyebrows in thought, “Well there was this one week. I had said she was five on the nineteenth, and on the twenty fourth, when I made the same comment, she corrected me saying she was six.”

Matt smiled, “So, going off of Hunk’s great idea, why don’t we throw a birthday party?”

Allura leaned forward, surprisingly, jumping on the party train, “I have the feeling she wouldn’t want too crowded of a space. Let’s do it in one of the lions’ hangers.”

Kolivan stared at the paladins. They were accepting a stranger that they just met, and they were trying to cheer her up. He smiled. It was small, and if anyone were to comment on it, he would deny it profusely. He figured the universe was in good hands.

~~~

Keith stumbled out of the pod only to be caught by Matt. She looked around, trying to get her bearings. She was in an unfamiliar room, but she saw the Paladins and Matt. After a few moments of silence, Hunk walked up to her and gave her a hug. She smiled slightly at Hunk’s kindness.

He grabbed her arm lightly, “You must be starving. Follow me. We are getting you something to eat.”

Lance chuckled, “That should be easy. You have been cooking up a storm.”

This comment drew her attention to Romelle at his side, “Who is this?”

Lance chuckled, “This is my beautiful girlfriend, Romelle.”

Keith sent daggered glares at Lance, “If you have a girlfriend, why were you flirting with me?”

Lance sent a return glare, “I was flirting as a friend. I do not approve of you assuming I would cheat.”

Keith looked at Romelle for confirmation, and she sent an amused smile, “He is telling the truth. He even flirts with Hunk.”

Keith nodded and heard Shiro mutter, “Add Romelle to list of who she is protective of.”

Just then, Coran entered the room. Energy was practically pouring off of him, and he walked straight up to her, “Hello young lady. The name is Coran, advisor to Princess Allura of Altea, and grandson of the wonderful man that built the very ship you are standing in.”

Keith looked at Pidge, someone that seemed like a similar soul, “Is he always this energetic?”

Pidge nodded, “Yep, if you ever get worn out by his constant energy, just find a place to hide out alone. It helps.”

Keith nodded and turned to Allura, who was walking in, “I am going to guess you are Princess Allura, due to the fact you are the only person that I haven’t met and you look like you are the same species as Coran.”

Allura smiled and with a faint british accent said, “Yes, I hope you are feeling well. You were in there for two quintants.”

Keith nodded. She felt a draw toward something in the ship. It was just a feeling, but following her feelings was the only way she survived. She was also very uncomfortable with the fact she didn’t know this ship.

Looking at Shiro, she said, “I am just going to wander. I won’t be able to eat if I don’t know my way around.”

Shiro nodded, and she walked off, leaving Shiro to explain the situation. The pull led her further and further into the ship. The halls were well lit, but she kept her guard up. There was no way of knowing what was going to come walking around the corner. She turned the corner to find the door to a hanger open. She slowly approached, red flags screaming in her head. Something was going on, and she had no idea what it was. There was no way of knowing what was in there. The tug yanked hard, and she found herself walking into the room. The Red Lion sat there, proud and strong. She walked up to the shield. Nothing happened and she shook her head. Why was she drawn here? By some force other than her own, her hand reached up and touched the shield. Within a blink, it was gone and the lion roared. The final piece had fallen into place. Voltron was finally ready to fight this war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Have a great day and stay safe!


	5. Chapter 4: Face to Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Black lion is released, and Allura decides they need to bond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a while to write and post. My life got a bit crazy and busy again, so I didn't have as much time to write. Thanks for the support with this story. I am really enjoying writing it. Anyhoo, enjoy!

Everyone heard the roar that shook the Castle. The only one that wasn’t in the infirmary was Keith. They took off at a dead run until they reached the hanger. Keith was just standing there, eyes wide.

“Seems like you are joining the team,” Shiro commented, placing a hand on her shoulders.

They all turned in shock as a wall opened in the hallway, revealing the Black Lion.

Allura’s eyes shone with pure joy, “Finally. The Black Lion is free.”

Shiro walked up to the Black Lion. The acceptance wasn’t loud, and it wasn’t sudden. The lion just settled down gently and opened his mouth, letting Shiro in. Everyone gaped in surprise at the calm welcome. Shiro walked into the lion, ready to try forming a connection. The others waited, and Keith tried to comprehend what was happening. She didn’t know what Voltron was. She had been a prisoner; the galra didn’t tell her anything about Voltron. She backed away from the group, drawing Matt’s attention. He carefully withdrew himself from the group and joined her.

He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, looking her in the eyes as he whispered, “Are you alright?”

Keith sighed heavily, “No, I-I don’t understand. What is the significance of the lion? You all know this, but I have no clue. I just feel,” she paused, trying to read her feelings, “confused. I guess that’s it. Maybe . . . I guess I’m scared.”

Matt pulled her into a hug, surprising them both, but spoke when she hugged him back, “I completely understand. It is alright you’re scared. Heaven knows, all of us are. When I first found out about the galra, I was taken prisoner. I was terrified.”

Keith sniffled a little. She was surprised she felt comfortable with him enough to show her emotions, “I completely understand that. It was the same thing for me. One minute, the worst thing I was dealing with were humans. Now, there are also aliens.”

Matt tightened his grip a bit and released her. He took a step back and smiled, “Let’s go sit down, and I’ll have Allura explain Voltron.”

Keith nodded and allowed Matt to pull her toward the group and Allura. After a whispered conversation with Allura, they left with her. The others remained in the hanger, not realising they were gone until they returned. By the time they returned, Shiro had exited Black. He was giving an amused smile to Pidge, who was pestering him with questions.

Allura smiled and spoke, “Well, today has been eventful. I believe Keith needs to eat, and we all need to rest. Tomorrow, training beings. Team building will take a lot of work.”

Everyone drifted off to their own areas. Tomorrow was going to be interesting.

~~~

Keith woke in a cold sweat. Her nightmare burning her eyes as she fought back tears. She buried her head in her hands and took several deep, shuddering breaths.

“It’s just in your head,” she whispered, “it isn’t real. You’re safe. It’s not real.”

A knock sounded and Matt’s voice called through the door, “Hey, it’s Matt. You up?”

She stood on wobbling legs and calmed herself before she opened the door, “I’m up. Time for breakfast?”

He nodded and looked at her closely. She just raised an eyebrow, and effectively deterred him from asking any questions. They continued to the kitchen for breakfast, with Matt shooting concerned glances. It was really touching that Matt was concerned, but the fact he was trying to be subtle, and failing miserably, was slightly irritating. She sighed and turned to look at him, mere feet from the doors.

Her arms crossed, she asked dryly, “Do you have something you want to ask?”

Matt immediately looked toward the kitchen doors, as if hoping someone would come out and save him from her scrutiny. His voice was slightly higher than normal because of his nerves as he replied, “Who? Me? No, why would you think that?”

She sighed and silently hoped for more patience than she had at that moment. She always wakes up with little to no patience when she has a nightmare, “Let’s see. You have been glancing at me the entire way here, and your voice was higher when you replied.”

Matt opened his mouth, about to say something that could have ticked her off, when Hunk walked out, on his way to get them. He took one look at the situation and grabbed Matt, “Let’s head in and eat.”

They all sat down, the paladins lining one side of the table. Coran gave them all a smile as he cuffed their hands to each other. Each paladin made varying comments of protest, only to be ignored by Coran.

“What is this? We can’t eat with our hands cuffed to each other!” Lance exclaimed.

Allura smiled, “The excersise is to have you feed each other.”

Keith raised an eyebrow in silent challenge. The cuffs may not be like those on Earth, but she had spent enough time learning how to find weak ponts in cuffs long enough it wasn’t hard to find the weak point.

She gave a cool smile to the princess, “Lance, can you do me a favor?”

Lance gave her an uneasy look. His blue eyes darted toward her and then toward the princess, “What?”

Keith finally turned her head toward Lance, “Hold your arm completely still.”

He wrinkled his brow in confusion, but nodded, stiffining his arm.

Keith turned to Pidge on her right, “I’m going to need to use this arm, so can you remain loose and stay as close to me as possible?”

Pidge nodded, pressing against Keith’s side. In one smooth motion, Keith yanked the cuff and brought the metal spoon right onto the weak point, disabling the cuff. It sent a wave through the other cuffs and disabled them also. Allura openly gaped at her, and she stood.

Keith’s voice was filled with barely repressed anger as she spoke, “You may have our best intentions at heart, but I would recommend never cuffing me again. It will not end well for anyone involved. This is your only warning.”

With that, she walked off, leaving her food untouched and everyone shocked by her reaction. She stalked off to the training deck, and the others glanced at each other.

Allura looked at the others, “I assume I offended in some way.”

Shiro rubbed the back of his neck, “Well, that isn’t exactly what happened.”

Matt looked at Shiro. He had no idea what was going on, but he was concerned. What would cause that kind of reaction?

Shiro sighed and stood, "Alright, training in the lions starts in a varga. Clean up and be ready."

~~~

Keith sat on her bunk, glaring down at her hands. It didn't matter that she knew she was safe. Her mind kept on returning to her time on Earth and as Haggar's prisoner. She took a deep breath in and held it. Calming her nerves. She knew she had to distract herself. If she didn't she would get stuck back there in her mind. She thought of the others. Lance seemed alright, despite being a huge flirt. Pidge seemed like a kindred spirit in the fact they preferred more quiet and alone locations. Allura seemed okay. Keith was still uneasy about her because of the cuff thing though. Coran was alright, if a bit too energetic for her to be around constantly. Then there was Shiro. She couldn't believe he was here. He was up in space, fighting a war that he had no part in before he wound up in space. She smiled. He was still the kind person he was before. If anything, he seemed to be the dad of this ragtag group of people. Then, her mind drifted to Matt. He was kind, and he made sure to spend time with his sister and still had time for the others. She thought he might be a good friend to have.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door, “Hey, Keith? It’s Matt. Can I come in?”

She felt her breath catch in her throat in surprise as she was jerked out of her thoughts before she replied, “Uh, yeah. Come in.”

He walked in and sat on the edge of her bed, “Are you okay? You seemed a bit off as you left earlier.”

She nodded, “Yeah, I just didn’t appreciate being restrained.”

Matt nodded, “I get it. I still have problems with some stuff because of being Zarkon’s prisoner. Shiro does too.”

She nodded, “Thanks, Matt.”

Matt nodded, “Not a problem. Oh, Shiro said that you guys were training with your lions in a varga. I’ll leave you to get ready.” He stood and started to walk out before he looked back and said, “If you ever need to talk, you can talk to me. Despite being a goofball at times, I’m a pretty good listener.”

She nodded, “I’ll keep it in mind. Thanks.”

Matt gave her a nod and left, the door shutting behind him. She stood and looked at her armor. She had grabbed it before she came in here. As she looked at the helmet, she saw the reflection of her eyes. She glanced at the door, remembering what Matt had said about him and Shiro. She and Zarkon were going to have some words if they ever met face to face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. Also, thanks for the comments! I really enjoy them, and I am glad to hear you all are enjoying the story. I will try to get the next chapter out faster, but, again, my life has gotten busy again so it may take a while. Thanks for you patience and stay safe!


	6. Chapter 5: A Wake Up Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They attempt to form Voltron and an argument occurs only to be interrupted by a galra fleet. Will the team be able to form Voltron and stop them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! So this is a short chapter. Also, just a warning, I am not very good at writing fight scenes where people are flying, so a very not detailed fight scene for you! Sorry for how short it is. This is crammed between a million other things I need to do. I hope you all enjoy!

They were all flying, and Keith was about to lose her temper, “Lance, please, shut your mouth.”

“Hey! Just because you have silent and lonely mastered, doesn’t mean we have to be silent.” He protested.

There was an audible groan from Shiro as he said, “Please, try to get along.”

“It’s not my fault Keith doesn’t see the bigger picture.” Lance protested.

“Lance!” Pidge scolded, understanding that, that was over the line despite being socially awkward.

Lance didn’t have the time to respond before Keith growled, “I see the bigger picture just fine. I was Haggar’s prisoner in case you forgot. I know the importance of taking down the empire. I asked you to shut up because you were giving me a headache, and I am trying to focus! I want to form Voltron, but we all need to be able to focus. I understand we all need to adapt to each other’s unique traits and actions, but I am not quite there yet. So, please, for the love of the universe, **shut up**!”

The coms grew silent at the end of her rant. No one knew what had just happened. Hunk opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Allura contacting from the Castle.

“Paladins, I hope you succeded in forming Voltron because we have a Galra fleet incoming.” Her voice was tense and concerned.

Just then, the fleet arrived. The team quickly took off working together attacking fighters and tearing apart ships. However, they were quickly being overrun.

“Okay, it’s now or never. **Form Voltron**!” Shiro shouted.

They quickly wiped out the fleet, leaving one small cruiser. They dismantled and shot toward it. Keith leading the way. Within moments a cannon appeared and fired, shooting straight at Keith.

“Keith!” The team screamed as she was hit.

Her screams echoed over the coms and druid magic mixed with the blast, worsening her injuries. Lance growled and slammed into the cannon, moving it just enough to get it off of Keith. Shiro swooped in and grabbed the Red lion, leaving the cruiser to the others. It was finished off quickly, and they rushed back to the castle. By the time the rest of the team reached the castle, Keith was in the infirmary, and Coran had examined her.

“It appears there is no burns or muscle damage. It is simply remarkable. She will need to rest, but she should recover without a pod,” Coran told Shiro.

They decided to leave her in the infirmary in case she worsened. The others were ushered out, leaving Matt and Shiro in the room.

Matt placed a hand on Shiro’s shoulder, “Go, take a shower and get some rest. I’ll keep an eye on her. You look terrible.”

Shiro nodded numbly and left, leaving Matt, who sunk into the chair next to the cot.

“You know,” He murmured, “you have been here more in the past quintant than I have in the time I’ve been here. You really scared us.”

He sat there, quietly taking in her relaxed face. Assuring himself that she was there and alive. He had heard her scream over the comms and feared the worst. The scream was going to haunt his nightmares for decaphoebes to come. 

* * *

Matt woke with a start when he heard the cot creak. Keith was up, and had just stood.

“Whoa! I don’t think that is such a good idea. You just woke up.” He exclaimed.

She looked at him, lingering fear haunting her eyes.

“Oh Keith,” Matt whispered. He opened his arms, “Come on, you need a hug.”

She quickly entered his embrace and hugged him. He held her as she buried her face in his shoulder and cried. She cried for several minutes and then backed up.

She wiped the remnants of her tears from her face, “Sorry, I don’t know what that was.”

Matt shrugged, “It’s fine. You just went through a traumatic experience. I’d be worried if you hadn’t reacted. If you don’t want me to tell anyone about this I won’t.”

She nodded her thanks and started toward the door, “I’m going to get food. I never did eat breakfast.”

Matt hurried up to her, “Hold up. Grab my arm for support.”

She glared at him, “I don’t need support.”

He sighed, “Well, do it for me then? It would set my mind at ease and, hopefully, ensure I don’t get killed by Shiro for letting you walk there by yourself.”

She rolled her eyes and sighed softly, grabbing his arm, “Fine. Just don’t expect me to continue holding it when we get through the doors.”

Matt nodded, and they set off toward the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the support with this story. I hope you are all staying safe. Have a great day!


	7. A Restless Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith has a nightmare and goes to find someone, only to run into Kolivan. When he begins to act strangely, she reacts and a chase ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. It took me a while to decide if I was going to make this into a Kit Keith. I finally decided that I would, so Keith is a kit. Also, sorry this is so short. The next chapter will be longer. Anyhoo, enjoy!

Keith jerked awake, a cold sweat coating her skin. Her breathing was labored as her nightmare faded from her mind. It was a combination of the past and the present. She took a shuddering breath and went to look for Pidge and Matt. They normally were up late, so she figured it was alright. With a few short steps, she was out her bedroom door and down the hallway, only for her to run into a wall. She stumbled back and a hand grabbed her arm to steady her.

“Careful, are you alright?” A deep voice admonished.

Keith blinked, realising the wall she ran into was Kolivan, “Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m fine. I was going to see if Matt and Pidge are up.”

“They do stay up far later than they should,” the male paused, “Keith, you are seven years younger than Shiro, correct?”

“Yes,” Keith said, eying him warily, “Why does it matter?”

Kolivan didn’t reply, checking and rechecking the math in his head, “That would make you eighteen, correct?”

She huffed and replied, “Yes, why does it matter? I am an adult.” Kolivan scooped her up causing a protesting shriek to erupt from her, “What are you doing? Are you a  _ lunatic _ ? You don’t just pick people up!”

Kolivan reached a set of doors and waited for it open, revealing Ulaz and two other men.

Keith started kicking, attempting to get out of his hold, “That is  _ enough _ ! Put me down!” When Kolivan hesitated, she muttered, “Alright, no more Miss Nice Girl.” 

She dropped her weight and pushed her arms forward, throwing Kolivan off balance. She followed it with a swift kick to his knee, causing him to crash to one knee, planting her feet on the ground. She drew her knee up and shoved it against the arms in front of her, making them release her. It was done in a matter of seconds, and she was out the door. Kolivan recovered quickly and took off after her, the others chasing after him, trying to figure out what was wrong with him. She took a hard right at the nearest hallway and continued until she found a vent. Hooking her fingers in the grate of the vent, she pulled it off and hauled herself in crawling until she couldn’t be seen. She curled up against the wall and listened. She heard Kolivan speaking to the biggest of the group. The one that always wore a mask and had a tail.

“Antok, she is only eighteen. She is just a kit!”

Ulaz spoke up, “Kolivan, Shiro is twenty five. They are adults on their planet.”

Kolivan shook his head, “Keith is part Galra. She activated her blade.”

The last one spoke up, “She has a blade? How did she get a blade?”

“Thace, why are you focusing on that? She is just a kit!” Kolivan replied exasperatedly.

Ulaz sighed, “Yes, a kit that you just terrified. She had no idea what was going on, and after she got out of your grip, you chased her.”

There was a long groan, and Kolivan said in a defeated voice, “I messed up.”

He was met with three people saying, “Definitely.”

Thace sighed, “Let’s get the Paladins. They should be able to find her, and she seems to trust them.”

They walked off, their footsteps echoing down the hallway. She quickly continued crawling until she was at the hallway outside the hanger doors. Quickly, she exited the vent and headed for Red. Red immediately knew what happened and opened for her paladin. Keith needed time to think and to rest. She was going to stand guard and keep everyone out until her paladin was ready.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Also, thank you Brian Smith and Serenity Human for your comments! Thank you everyone for all the support! I love getting comments and feedback. Have a great day, and stay safe!
> 
> Note on 7/11/2020: I will be taking a temporary break from this story. I do not have the time to give the story the attention I feel it deserves. I will update as soon as I can, but I do not know when that will be.


	8. Boundaries and Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team searches for Keith and apologies are said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it has been so long! This chapter is short, but I wanted to get this out to you. Warning: No editing done! This was written during brief moments between things that have been keeping me busy. Sorry if this is horrible! Please comment and let me know what you think! I love hearing from you all! Anyhoo! Enjoy!

Keith remained in Red for the rest of the night. She slept fitfully, jerking awake after only twenty minutes each time. The others chose to wait until morning in the hope Keith would join them for breakfast. That hope was dashed quickly, however, when she did not show up.

Lance slammed his fork on the table, glaring at the Blade members, “Okay, I am sick of waiting. What did you do to Keith that freaked her out so badly she has disappeared?” His voice was filled with irritation and warning.

“I would like to know that too,” Pidge added.

Kolivan scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment, “Well… I may have run into her in the hallway and clarified her age, picked her up, and carried her to my pack.”

“Don’t forget that you chased her after she got away from you,” Thace added drily.

The others stared at him in shock. Why would he do  _ that _ ? It made no sense to them. Keith was an adult on Earth, so that was no reason to react like that.

“I don’t understand,” Hunk said, “Keith is eighteen, so she is an adult. Why would you react like that?”

Ulaz leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table, and said, “Well, Galra age differently. We live longer than humans. To us, Keith is still the age of a child. If she had grown up in our culture, she would still have to be with an adult whenever she left the pack room.”

“What?” Shiro exclaimed in disbelief, “that’s crazy!”

“Well, it is the truth. I may have overreacted before, but it wasn’t my intention to scare her,” Kolivan said. 

The paladins all groaned and stood. They were going to find Keith because it was very likely that Keith would stay hiding until the next quintant. They all separated, quickly going from room to room. It was Shiro that thought to look in the red lion. It was the one place that she would have gone that only she had control over. The others didn’t even notice when he left and headed toward the hangars. Keith had woken up by this time and was realising that she probably overreacted. Despite the fact that she had still been dealing with a nightmare, she felt she had acted harshly. Kolivan had only been wanting to help. With this thought in mind, she left the comfort and safety of the Red Lion in search of the others. That was where she saw Shiro. They didn’t say anything. All she did was hug him, and he hugged her. They just stood there for a long time until Shiro backed up.

“We need to head back to the others. They are very worried about you.” His tone was soft but firm, “We all were worried about you.”

She looked down in shame. “Sorry,” was her mumbled response, “I overreacted last night.”

Shiro tugged her toward the door as he asked, “What happened? I already heard Kolivan’s point of view. What is yours?”

She sighed, “I woke up from a nightmare and went to look for Pidge or Matt. Kolivan was in the hallway, and I ran into him. He asked me my age. Then, he freaked out about it and picked me up. I reacted and ran.”

Shiro nodded at her explanation, and they continued in silence until they reached Matt. Matt did not stay silent as he rambled on about how worried he was before he pulled her into a hug. She sighed as she relaxed into the hug, drawing comfort from Matt. It went like that until they reached the lounge where the Galra’s were waiting. Kolivan was the first to stand.

“I must apologize for my behavior last night,” Kolivan said, “Even though you are merely a child to us, you are considered an adult to humans, and I must respect that.”

“I must apologize too,” she replied, “you just wanted to try to help.”

This eased much of the tension that had blanketed the room without them knowing. They all knew that boundaries had to be set, not just for Keith and the Galras, but for everyone. This made everyone sit and talk to each other. They were going to be a team. There can’t be a thousand miles apart. So, that was what they did for the rest of the day. They learned about each other and set their boundaries. There were still things that they didn’t know, but that was okay because now they were finally getting closer to being a family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Again, sorry for the wait! Please let me know what you think! Have a great day and stay safe!


	9. Learned Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team works to tap into Keith's instincts, and they receive a visit from the most unlikely person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! It has been forever since I have posted on this, and I am very sorry. I happened to develop a bit of writer's block. However, I have overcome it enough to give you this awful chapter! I hope you enjoy, and please let me know your thoughts in the comments! Enjoy!

The team did not talk much on the fact that Keith was, by all technicalities, a baby to the Galra. This just gave them more reasons to train. After all, Keith had instincts that would help them on missions. Suppressed instincts, yes, but they were still there. At the moment, they were working on her sense of smell combined with sound. She was blindfolded and set in a maze of walls. The team was all in their suits. She was to keep from getting it and still fight them off. It was a struggle. When she focused on her other senses, it became overwhelming. The thrum of the ship sent stabs of noise into her skull and nearly overpowered the slight noise from the others. The smell was worse. She could smell the undeniable smell of home cooked food that was Hunk. She could smell Lance’s ridiculous skin-care products and metal from Pidge. She felt so overwhelmed. It made no sense to do it like this. Gradual adaptation would be better. She heard the shuffle of feet behind her and lunged to the left a stun blast flying past her right ear. She turned and charged at the place where the blast had come from, ramming into what felt to be Shiro. They went sprawling, and she scrambled up her feet and took off running. In three steps, Shiro caught up to her and lifted her off of her feet. She drew her knee up then sent it back, her foot slamming into his knee. He stumbled and dropped her. She took off again, listening for the telltale sound of the door’s location. She turned right and left and right and left. She met several dead ends before reaching the door. Once she slammed her hand on the scanner, it opened, and she was out, removing the blindfold. She hadn’t expected to do so well on her first try, but she knew that there was more that she had to do. The maze melted down, revealing the other’s locations. Lance had been near the center with the others placed one the edges. They went up to her with congratulations and tips on how to do better before Kolivan walked up to her.

“You did well, kit. There is room for improvement, but I think that this is good for today,” he praised and walked off. 

Matt came running up to her, “You were awesome Keith!” 

He picked her up at the waist before spinning her around. She let out a laugh of surprise before he set her down with more compliments spilling from his lips. Their bubble of happiness was broken with Allura coming over the comms to announce a transmission from a Galran vessel. The team ran to the bridge to see what it was. They found a very stiff Allura waiting for them. 

“It was Lotor,  _ Prince _ of the Galra Empire. He says he has information for us in return for asylum. I want all of your opinions,” She stated in a clearly false calm.

“Has he shown any reason to be untrustworthy other than being the prince?” Keith inquired.

“No,” Allura replied.

“So,” Pidge began, “Do we question him?”

“I don’t know,” Shiro murmured.

“What if we let him on?” Hunk said.

He was then clarified by Lance saying, “But we follow him.”

It appeared to be a good plan. They sent out a transmission where they asked him several questions. Once they felt confident that he wasn’t a threat at the moment, they granted him access. The surprisingly small ship landed in the hangar bay, and he was met with the paladins in full armor with Matt, Romelle, and the Blades. He had a resigned look on his face, as if his very soul had been crushed and reformed. They were surprised by it. 

“Paladins, I have come to offer you information on how to take down my father and his witch. All that I ask of you is to let me rebuild the empire into what it once was. Before my father’s tyranny,” He began, “The people are not responsible for the Generals and my father’s actions.”

Keith and the rest of the Blades looked at each other. Each was trying to imagine a universe where their people could be seen for good and light instead of this eternal darkness. They wanted that world. With that thought they looked toward Allura with eyes full of hope. She gave a smile. 

“We agree, Lotor. However, we do not fully trust you, so we are going to give you some guards.” She replied. 

He nodded and they left to go to the bridge. It was time for them to hear Lotor’s information. They all hoped to end this as fast as possible. His information was their last hope for a quick fight, instead of an all out war with more casualties. The truth was, Lotor was an ally in an unlikely place, but he was a good one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Again, please leave comments. I love receiving them. Stay safe!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! Stay safe and have a good day!


End file.
